Marc Orchant Updates and Information — This page is dedicated to providing information and updates concerning the status of my good friend and colleague, Marc Orchant. — As you know, Marc suffered a massive cardiac infarction on Sunday morning, December 2nd 2007. My original post is copied below.

Nielsen to Be Video Cop — For years, media and technology companies have been ensnarled in a battle over the rights to video posted online. Now ratings giant Nielsen wants to be the policeman. — Nielsen is rolling out a new service that aims to ensure that video is distributed and viewed …

Google Pre-Launches New iPhone Interface — We heard a rumor that Google was going to launch a new interface for users accessing the site via an iPhone in the next few days. But an anonymous tip let us know it actually launched without any warning or announcement this evening.

Free Universal Music Downloads on New Nokia Phones — Nokia, the telecommunications company, and the Universal Music Group, the recording company, said on Tuesday that they would offer unlimited free downloads of Universal songs to buyers of certain Nokia phones as a way to promote cellphones …

Cellphone could be boarding pass, too — Continental Airlines passengers in Houston will be able to board flights using just a cellphone or personal-digital assistant instead of a regular boarding pass in a three-month test program launched Tuesday at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Gmail messaging boost adds AIM to Google Talk — AOL's instant messenger now plays nicely with Google's — The popular Gmail service from Google is clearly a work in progress - it still carries the 'beta' tag after all - but that's mainly because it keeps getting better, rather than that it isn't finished.

Inside the "Ron Paul" Spam Botnet — On the weekend of October 27, 2007, the Internet was suddenly bombarded with a rash of spam emails promoting U.S. presidential candidate Ron Paul. The spam run continued until Tuesday, October 30, when it stopped as suddenly as it began.

Now Who's Being Naive, Kay? Or, Reflections on the Fundamental Contempt In Which the Enthusiast Press Is Held By Publishers—And Its Own Employers … The first time we realized the profound contempt with which videogame publishers regard the enthusiast press came in early in this millennium.

ISO Ballot for PDF 1.7 Passed! — Adobe has received word that the Ballot for approval of PDF 1.7 to become the ISO 32000 Standard (DIS) has passed by a vote of 13:: 1. — Countries voting positive with no comments: Australia, Bulgaria, China, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine.

Edit your photos! On Flickr! — Picnik's awesome photo editing tools are now only a click away. If you've ever wanted to deal with the dreaded red eye or crop a photo just so, click on the new "edit photo" icon located above one of your photos and get started.

Apple Wants To Make DRM Extortion Explicit — For years, DRM critics have been arguing that the technology isn't so much about stopping piracy as it is about taking away traditional fair use privileges and then selling them back to you. I've agreed with this for a while …

Will the Holy Grail of marketing revive Dell? — If Dell wants to regain its former glory, it will have to do a better job selling laptops like its XPS m1330; and that means new marketing methods. Image: Dell — Two years from now, we'll be hailing Dell as a marketing innovator …

Postal Rate Change to Wallop Netflix, Help BBI? (NFLX) — Another reason for Netflix (NFLX) to hurry up and transition to a purely digital model: A potential postal rate change could cut the company's operating income per subscriber by two-thirds, say Citi analysts Mark Mahaney and Tony Wible.